Luka Doncic, a star of the Slovenian national team and one of the great stars of the NBA, set off alarm bells this Saturday in Riga. During the friendly match against Latvia, played at the Xiaomi Arena, the player suffered a severe blow to his right knee that forced him to leave the court in the third quarter. The incident occurred when his teammate Gregor Hrovat lost his balance after contact and fell on him. The moment generated great concern. Doncic writhed on the floor and was helped off, visibly limping. He did not return to the game and went directly to the locker room for treatment. Minutes later, he reappeared on the bench, in street clothes, to accompany the rest of the team during the final stretch of the game.

The incident occurred with the score at 66-52 in favor of the Latvians, just four minutes after the break. The play caused an immediate silence in the arena, aware that Doncic's absence could alter Slovenia's plans for Eurobasket 2025.

Uncertainty for the Eurobasket

According to journalist Dan Woike of The Athletic, Doncic would have avoided a serious injury. Still, concerns remain: the continental tournament begins on August 27, and any physical setback could keep him out of one of his most important matches with his national team. The coaching staff itself preferred not to take any risks and decided not to let him return to the court, despite the player's intention to return. This decision provides a certain degree of peace of mind, although the blow means they must await the results of the medical tests. Slovenia is not going through its best sporting moment. The team has accumulated four defeats in the series of friendlies and still has matches against Great Britain and Serbia before its official debut. The defensive weakness has been evident, and Doncic's absence would further complicate their hopes. Paradoxically, the Lakers point guard arrived at this training camp in the best physical condition of his career. "I want to be the best I can be and take care of myself. This year we took a big step, but this is just the beginning.""I need to keep going," he recently told Men's Health. In that interview, he explained that he workouts twice a day and maintains a gluten-free, low-sugar diet based on intermittent fasting to reduce inflammation and improve recovery.